Friday is for friends

There are a few blogs that I occasionally read and one in particular seems to have a different topic that they’ll write about for each day of the week. Last Friday was “Friday is for Friends” on one guy’s site. I wasn’t intending on copying his idea but actually this past Friday really was “friend day” as I was able to briefly (much too briefly!!!) meet up with two very dear friends of mine.

I realise I have very unique and special opportunities because of the fact that I have friends, from all around the world, involved in missions. It’s because of this (but really God’s sovereignty and how He orchestrates our lives) that I often have friends passing through Thailand enroute to other nations or coming to Thailand to serve the Lord in some capacity, whether short or long term. Sometimes they fly through Bangkok and it doesn’t actually work out to see them. Even if they come to Chiang Mai, it doesn’t mean that I’m able to meet up with them. So I’m thankful for the visits that coincide with my needing to be in Chiang Mai for other reasons. I’m thankful to be able to see these good friends and be able to laugh together and share what’s going on in our lives and pray together.

Jess and Andrae last came to Thailand in July 2007 and stayed in NPJT for 2 weeks I think. I was able to spend a lot of time with them because of where they were and who they were working with and because I was also able to help translate for their team. So it was an extra special blessing to be able to see them and hang out with them again last Friday, less than a year after I last saw them. Unfortunately, our time on this occasion was short…

In the morning, Andrae was teaching his second day in the SBS in Chiang Mai. He was teaching 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. It was fun to sit in on an SBS class again!

Here I am (on the right in the green shirt) sitting in the back row beside Jess. Andrae’s finished up his teaching and Apple is thanking him for teaching.

The fan was right behind me – hence the funky looking hair sticking out sideways from my head.
[Me, Jess, Tessa – who’s on staff with the SBS in CM]

After Andrae’s lecture, I had to go run errands and so we met up later in the afternoon. We called Pi Toi and I put her on speakerphone. Andrae and Jess used their random Thai-yai phrases that they’d learned from last summer. It was hilarious. You probably had to be there.

I think Pi Toi wished she was with us in person instead of just with us through the phone.

Then we went to one coffee shop. And talked…. Eventually that shop was going to close so we decided to go to another coffee place (because we weren’t hungry for dinner yet). The second coffee shop we went to is one of my favourites – it’s so cute. “Chiang Mai Coffee” is located in the parking lot of DK Books (north of the SE corner of the moat of the old city, but outside of the moat). There’s free wireless there too – just in case you ever need to know where there’s free wireless in Chiang Mai…

By the time we were ready for dinner, it was about 8pm. We walked up the street in the drizzling rain to Miguel’s Cafe for some yummy Mexican food. Eventually we made it back to my guesthouse where we all got in my truck and I drove them across town to their guesthouse. I hate saying goodbye.

It was a good Friday. I mean not “the” Good Friday but it was a good Friday. You know what I mean.

I’m just thankful for my time with Jess and Andrae on Friday.